The boyfriend of the late Amy Winehouse has spoken of his hell after being cleared of raping a woman who slept in his bed.

Reg Traviss, 35, was acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court after less than three hours' deliberation.

Leaving court, he hit out at the authorities for not stopping "the train" of a very weak prosecution and said he hoped to fall in love again after losing the Back To Black singer in July last year.

The complainant alleged Traviss twice raped her at his central London flat after getting drunk together on December 30 last year. She said despite waking to find him attacking her she went back to bed with him to sleep but found him doing it again.

Mr Traviss said the police should have dropped the investigation after looking at CCTV that contradicted her version of events. She told investigators she was so drunk she could not stand up. Footage showed her walking freely and unaided with Mr Traviss to get in a taxi to his flat.

He said: "I am really relieved, really relieved it's all over. I never did it. The last nine months or however long has been crazy. It feels like anyone can make a complaint and end up having their day in court. Being impartial, that's fair enough and I think it is right. I can understand why it's like that but in reality a train starts running and in this case the person who made the complaint wasn't investigated, the police didn't know anything about her."

The film director said the authorities did not want to stop "the train" of the prosecution for various reasons. He said he did not think "for one minute" that the police or Crown Prosecution Service thought he was guilty. "I don't think the judge thought I did it either," he said.

Calling for anonymity for defendants in rape cases, Mr Traviss said the complainant was either mentally ill or could have had a financial agenda. The trial heard that the woman, 27, often talked about being "skint" and that she accepted £25 from Mr Traviss the morning after for money she had spent on drinks.

Mr Traviss said he had had a torrid time since Winehouse's death with an "unreal 18 months" but hoped he was over the worst and could fall in love again. He has recently been photographed kissing the actress Sheridan Smith, whom he thanked for her support.

In a highly unusual move, Mr Traviss's barrister Ian Winter QC spoke out upon acquittal, saying the allegations should not have got so far. He said: "I don't think in my career I have defended a case where I have been so sure of my client's innocence. What is unbelievable is that if we hadn't found them coming out of the nightclub on that CCTV which the police had, and the footage of them walking to the toilets, there could have been a real risk of a miscarriage of justice. When I saw the CCTV it was clear she could not have been that drunk. The Crown should not have brought the case and I don't think the police looked at the CCTV."